8 Great Reasons Why You Should Plant A Vegetable Garden.

Spring at my house means preparing our vegetable garden for planting. And of course Spring this year is taking its sweet time to appear and causing my husband to pace the floors.  That’s the farmer in him.  Planting a vegetable garden is work but has many benefits as well. Below you will see 8 great reasons why you should plant a vegetable garden.

Several years ago my husband decided that he was not going to plant a vegetable garden. After 40 years. He gave his garden tiller to our son-in-law. Boy did we have an adventure that spring and summer.  Read all about it here.

why you should plant a vegetable garden

8 Great Reasons Why You Should Plant A Vegetable Garden

I encourage anyone to plant a vegetable garden.  Why? Gardening is a great stress reliever. Promotes better health. You can grow many varieties of your favorite vegetables. No chemical pesticides.  You decide. Will save you money in the long run. Better tasting vegetables than the ones you buy at the store. Why not preserve that extra bounty either by freezing or canning.  And Of course, you can share those extra veggies with your family and friends

Yes, gardening is work but think of the satisfaction of a job well done at the end of the season. A few tips before you begin.  Start with a small garden.  You can always expand next year.  Take it from experience.  Every year our vegetable garden grows in size.  Plant only the vegetables you like.  No sense in planting something you are not going to eat. 

You can always experiment in the future.  I had never eaten eggplant but was curious about it. So we planted some.  I fell in love. You have got to try eggplant parmesan. See the recipe here. 

Watch the video below 

Natural Stress Reliever

Gardening is a natural stress reliever.  Being outside can improve your mood and make you feel rejuvenated. While pulling out weeds you are getting a workout but also not thinking about what is stressing you such as the little things that need to be done. Physical activity reduces the symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression. 

Promotes Better Health

Fresh vegetables are a part of a healthy diet and that promotes better health.  Nothing like walking to that garden and picking fresh vegetables to your heart’s content.  Just use your imagination. Think of all the yummy recipes you can make using your fresh vegetables. And having them readily available encourages increased intake of fresh vegetables,

Grow A Variety

A great thing about your own vegetable garden.  You can plant so many different varieties of a certain vegetable such as tomatoes.  In the store you might find 3 or 4 different kinds of tomatoes but did you know that there are many many different varieties. Plant big juicy slicing tomatoes for BLT sandwiches or cherry tomatoes for a salad. Want purple carrots. No problem. Why not plant a variety of cucumbers. Small pickling cucumbers, English cucumbers, and the popular straight eight cucumbers. Leaf lettuce or Romaine anyone? You can have a literal smorgasbord of fresh vegetables. 

Saves Money

Who doesn’t like to save money? By planting a vegetable garden you will. The packets of seeds will cost you anywhere from $1.00 to $2.50 depending on the size and brand that you buy.  And think of all the tomatoes that 1 packet will grow! Mind-boggling I tell you. You can also buy established plants.  They are a little more expensive but what they will produce you will save money in the long run.

Save yourself trips to the store. Just walk out to your garden and pick fresh vegetables.  Have the makings of a fresh salad at your fingertips. 

Better Tasting Vegetables

Fresh vegetables taste so much better than the ones you buy in the store. Those vegetables are picked before they are ready for your table. After all, they have to endure the transit from farm to store.  

There is nothing like fresh green beans. Have you been frustrated when you buy that bag of beans from the store to end up throwing away half of them because they are “limp” from sitting in the bag for so long?

The taste and texture of a freshly picked tomato from your garden cannot compare to that grocery store tomato.  

Preserving Your Bounty

You are going to have vegetables literally running out of your ears.  The best part?  You can freeze or home can the extras. No use to waste.  You will have vegetables to carry you through the winter. This will cut down your grocery bill.  Win-Win in my book. 

Get creative.  There are so many things to do with those vegetables.  Make pickles, salsas, tomato sauce, and pizza sauce.  The possibilities are endless. 

Sharing With Family And Friends

Why not share those extra tomatoes?  Everyone loves receiving fresh vegetables. Or you can donate your extra produce to your local food pantry. Helping others always makes me feel better.  How about you? Fresh vegetables also make a great gift basket.  Your family and friends will thank you. 

Chemical Pesticides

You control what you apply to your vegetables. Organic vegetables are so expensive.  This confuses me.   Less cost more?  Make sense to you?  Never could figure that one out. But your organic grown produce cost way more. 

Whether you decide to apply chemical pesticides or not, you are the one in control, and that in itself is a great feeling. 

Final Thoughts

There are many benefits to planting a vegetable garden.  Stress reliever, fresh vegetables at your fingertips, promotes better health, saves you money, growing a wide variety, controlling pesticides, fresher tasting vegetables, or preserving.  Any and all these reasons are great. 

Gardening is a lot of work and takes some planning such as what vegetables to plant and when to plant them. Some vegetables prefer cooler weather while others thrive in hotter weather.  

I hope this article inspired you to plant your very own vegetable garden. The benefits, as well as the satisfaction, are well worth it.

Please leave me a comment below with your thoughts.  I love hearing from you.

And As Always

Have a wonderful day!

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